Disclaimer: See 1st chapter.

A/N: I just wanna thank everyone who read and reviewed, I'm glad that you guys enjoyed this story. I had a lot of fun writing it and I'm sorry for the times it took forever to update hehe. So thank you!

Chapter Thirty-One: Sun In Sunnydale

The Scoobies were scattered around the Magic Box, desperately looking through this book or that book, trying to find a way to stop the carnage outside. So far they had come up with nothing that was very useful, just a bunch of spells that would slow the Hellmouth down but not close it again. In the meantime, the Earth shook as if with the footsteps of a giant, and the tentacles kept burrowing like blood sucking tics.

Buffy sighed, rubbing at her forehead and the headache that thumped behind her eyes. She slowly crossed the room over to where Faith stood, holding her stomach and staring out of the window. Her face was completely devoid of emotion, but her eyes were cold as ice. No doubt she was hearing the screams and flashing back to her dream.

"You okay?" Buffy asked, tucking brown hair behind her ear. "We got a few more pain killers I think."

Faith exhaled deeply. "I'm aight. Just…wonderin' what we're gonna do about this mess. It's so damn massive."

"I know what you mean. But when we went up against Glory it seemed like we couldn't win." She explained slowly. "But we did. And I think a crazy hell God with a bad home perm trumps a three headed monster."

The brunette snorted, but grinned in spite of herself. "It's the mouth of hell, B. Ain't neither a walk in the park." Wetting her lips, she glanced to the other girl. "But ya know, there is no where else I'd rather be than throwin' down with you. Kinda like old times cept we're on the same side."

Buffy kissed her cheek softly. "Don't go getting all sappy on me like we're goin' to go down in a big blaze of glory. There will be plenty of time for us to become the sickeningly sweet couple that people want to punch." Cupping her face, she smoothed her thumbs on her skin. "I'm glad you are here, though. I'm glad for a lot of things these days and most revolve around you."

"Now who's gettin' sappy?"

"You started it."

"Since when are you a follower?"

"I—shut up."

"Ooh snappy comeback. What happened to all those witty puns ya used to throw around back in the day?"

"Been kinda punned out the last few years."

"You gotta get back on the horse."

"We live through this, and I will."

Suddenly Willow's frenzied ooh broke through their conversation. She leapt up from her chair and bounced on her toes, nearly dropping the book in her hands. "I—I found something! It—well it's not really a good something now that I am continuing to read on, in fact maybe I should just skip it and move on to something else. Yeesh."

"At least tell us what it is first." Xander grinned. "Anything that gets a yeesh deserves to be known and yeeshed by everyone."

Nodding, she cleared her throat. "So we need enough power to close the Hellmouth but we aren't sure how to—to go about getting it. Well we—we could use someone as a sort of battery. Funnel power through that person directly into the giant hole where the monster is gonna rise out of."

"Who could we use to do that?" Buffy inquired slowly. "It sounds kinda dangerous."

The red head wet her lips. "Actually I think it would be more dangerous for the people funneling rather than the funnel-ee. An—and I know you won't like this but—well—Dawn would be perfect."

"You're right. I don't like it." The blonde frowned, shaking her head. "There has to be another way. I'm not gonna put her in the line of fire like that."

Dawn folded her arms over her chest. "Why do I win the close the Hellmouth lottery?"

Willow looked to her. "Because you used to be a key. The key. Yo—you're human now but whatever magic that you had before is still swimming around inside of you. All I would have to do is tap into it and point it at the dimension that the creature is trying to crawl out of. Sorta like flipping a switch."

She nodded, chewing on the inside of her cheek. "You said it would be more dangerous for you. How?"

"Once you start charging up, there is a good chance you won't wanna power down when it's over. You could end up…draining my life force and turning me into a head of cabbage."

"Oh. I think my stomach just dropped."

Giles cleaned his glasses for the ninth time. "This is a very precarious situation."

Anya shrugged. "I for one am all for it. Let's give her a drum and some sunglasses."

"Why?" Faith tilted her head to the side.

The ex demon sighed, annoyed. "Like that stupid, evil little bunny on the commercials who controls the batteries. He has a drum and sunglasses. Duh."

"Right. You're so weird." The brunette chuckled, wincing in slight pain. "Aight so what's the verdict? The screams are only gettin' louder."

Feeling the urge to move, Buffy began to pace in front of the glass counter. She brought a hand up to her neck and tried to think, tried to force her brain to come up with a solution that didn't involve putting her sister and her best friend at serious risk. Maybe she could be the battery. That would be easier…she was used to putting her own life on the line. She was gonna start having t-shirts printed up with that as her logo. Will put life in danger for a good time.

She almost wished Ben/Glory was still alive so that he…she…they could close the Hellmouth themselves. Thinking on it more, she would rather fight a Hell God than that three-headed slime machine any day. But she knew she needed to face facts. If they didn't act quickly it didn't matter who funneled what because they'd all be dead.

"Dawn? It—it's your decision." She finally said after a few moments. "Whatever you decide it—it's okay."

The young teen exhaled deeply. "I—I wanna do it. You guys have put yourselves on the line to save me so many times. I—it's the least I can do to try to repay the favor." She gazed to Willow. "I'll try really hard not to turn you into anything leafy or green."

The Wicca grinned and crossed over to her, giving her a big hug. "I trust you, Dawnie. And hey, even if you do it'll be okay. I sorta created this mess so it's up to me to fix it."

Tara glanced down to her hands. "Don't worry Dawn. I—I'll help you fo—focus."

Xander itched at his hair. He wasn't a fan of the plan, but he was almost used to the no choice mantra they usually had to chant. "How do we go about doing this?"

Willow gestured to the walls. "I'll need a few ingredients, and then we should head back to the school. The closer we are the better chance it'll have of not going kablooie."

"What about the crazy arms?" Faith asked. "You gonna need us to run interference there?"

She nodded, her expression strained. "Yeah. Just…keep them away from Dawn and I. Go nuts with the chopping."

As the others hurried to fetch whatever Willow would need for her spell, Buffy grabbed Faith's wrist and pulled her aside. "Are you gonna be good to fight? It would be okay if you stayed behind."

The ex-con smirked. "You know that ain't an option for me, B. I go where you go."

Although it warmed her heart, the blonde couldn't push down her anxiety over the impaling incident. "And I—I want you with me, right there beside me. But I also don't want you to get hurt even worse. I'd never forgive myself if—if you…died."

"I'm not gonna die." She leaned, placing a soft kiss to the other girl's lips. "That I can promise ya. We got a lot of time to make up for, I wouldn't be stupid enough to bite it and miss the good stuff. 'Sides if I die, who are you gonna have victory sex with afterwards?"

At that very moment, Spike walked by with a chicken foot in one hand and a jar of newt eyes in the other.

Both girls laughed, and Buffy allowed herself a minute of quietness. She rested her head to Faith's chest, listening to the hard thud of her heartbeat. Even with everything that was going on, it was slow and steady like a thick drum. Reassuring. As long as she could press her ear to this spot and hear the rising thump thump, she would be all right.

God help her if silence ever droned back at her.

No. No sad, weepy thoughts. "Faith…I…" Trailing off, she gazed up into impossibly dark brown eyes. "Whatever happens, I want you to know that I regret nothing. That it's you—it's always been you. You're the only one who could really get me. I know in the past I've been a total bitch and made you feel like you were less than I am. Like I was superior. But—truth is—you're the only equal I have ever had."

"Thought we weren't doin' the if I croak speeches?" Faith smiled a little, trying to keep the mood light. "You don't gotta apologize for the past. We acted like fools and made our own paths. I'm just glad we get a like, seventh chance to be who we were meant to be. The Chosen two…"

"I do you know. Choose you."

"Wicked. Cause I choose you too. Now, let's go kick some Hellmouth ass."

Willow was scared. She wasn't exactly scared of dying or being in a coma for the rest of her life, though. She was mostly scared of never being able to see Tara again. Of being able to kiss her or touch her, make love to her. These were the thoughts that nailed themselves into her brain as she stood in what used to be the cafeteria, listening to the thunderous roar of the creature a few doors down.

She felt like a giant stupid head for doing that spell and possibly killing everyone she loved, just to prove a point. If she could go back in time and undo it, she totally would. But now all she could do was hope that this spell fixed her mess and put everything right as rain again.

"I might pee myself." She whispered to Tara. "Wh—what if I mess up? What if I turn Dawn into a lawn chair?"

Tara smiled gently, hugging her shoulders. "I have faith in you, Will. Yo—you can do this. And I—I'll be right here with you."

"I love you." Willow kissed her soundly. "I'll never stop loving you."

"I love you too." Her girlfriend said softly. "You're the best part of me."

Dawn grinned from where she stood watching. She hoped to find someone like that one day who made her so happy. Sighing, she looked to the others. Xander was clutching an axe and standing by the door with Anya, gazing out into the ashy hallway. Spike was near the front lunch line, lighting up a cigarette and taking a healthy drag. His eyes were trained on Buffy and Faith were they stood with matching swords, saying nothing but just staring at each other intently.

The entire building was shaking violently with tentacles crashing into a wall at any given moment to escape. Giles was manning the chalk circle closest to them, his brows furrowed in concentration. She remembered what it was like on that tower, feeling her life flash before her eyes. She had been willing to jump to save the world. She'd always thought of herself as just some annoying little sister to a great hero, but maybe she was kinda a hero herself.

"We should do this before it's too late." The words flowed out of her mouth. "I'm ready."

"I love you, Dawnie." Buffy said; her voice filled with hope.

"I love you." Her sister replied. "And you so owe me when this is over!"

Willow cracked her knuckles and inhaled, slowly sitting on the dirty floor. She reached into the brass bowl before her and coated her fingers in the black liquid, then smeared it on her cheeks and forehead. The flames on the small red candles flickered, and she swallowed hard to gain her nerve. Dawn turned and faced the general Hellmouth direction, forcing her eyes to remain open.

"I call upon the power within me, bright and burning hot. Leave my being, for the vessel is strong and worthy. She accepts my offering. She is the κλειδί." She said over the rumbling. "Give her the power! By the Goddess, give her the power!"

A whooshing sounded and Dawn gasped as every part of her body began to tingle. White light filled her pores, filled her completely until she was almost made of it. It glowed so brightly that everyone had to shield their eyes. She felt warm and strong, like the single batting of her eyelash could explode some desolate world into a new universe. She didn't fight it as the power flowed into her, as it seeped into her very soul and illuminated it behind her eyelids.

She wanted it so badly, possibly more than she had ever wanted anything in her life. But a tiny voice in the back of her head said that it wasn't really hers. That she was just borrowing it. And she tried very hard to focus on the reality of the situation so that she didn't hurt Willow.

Willow.

The red head was hunched over her make shift altar, watching as gold wisps of tinkling stars drifted out of her skin. She could already feel her energy waning; it made her tremble as if she were cold. Idly she felt a soft hand on her shoulder, and she didn't have to look up to know it was Tara. Helping to keep her grounded.

"Find…the…Hellmouth…" She whispered, her throat tight. "Force it…back…down."

I can do this. Dawn told herself. I am the power.

She closed her eyes and pictured the monster in her mind, and suddenly she was before it in a dark cavern. Or apart of her was before it, like an astral projection. It was huge like some fiend you'd see in a horror movie! Dripping slime and mucus, trying desperately to crawl its way up out of the Earth, its three heads thrashing around angrily.

Lifting a hand, she imagined the green swirl of light she used to be and thrust it out at it. It jumped from her like a bolt of lightning, surrounding the beast several times over and tightening like a thick rope. It screamed and pushed harder against its confines, snapping at some invisible enemy it couldn't see, only feel. Dawn set her lips in a tight line and kept driving the glow forward, even as tiny cuts began to appear on her arms.

…Meanwhile…

"Duck!" Xander shoved Anya down just as a long tentacle slammed into the doorway right above her head. He swung out with his axe at it as hard as he could, his face a mask of fear and determination as she helped him with her sharp dagger. "Die you pus filled worm!"

"Spike! Keep Dawn and Willow safe!" Buffy shouted, covering Faith's back as she rolled to avoid being thrown across the room.

"It knows we are trying to stop it!" Giles related. He watched as two feelers burst up through the floor.

Faith grunted and drove her sword through a smaller one. "Smart Hellmouth. Ah!" She crashed to the floor as another wrapped around her ankle and yanked. "Get the fuck off me!"

Buffy chopped it off, quickly helping her up. She glanced to Dawn, frowning at the red tinges on her arms. "Come on, Dawn! You can do this!"

Tara knelt beside Willow, her lashes fluttering as a strong wind kicked up in the room, sending pieces of honey colored hair whipping around her pale cheeks. She shuddered at the sight of her girlfriend, her chest fighting to take in air as she started to age rapidly. Her red locks turning gray. Her youthful skin becoming cracked and blotchy with wrinkles.

"Willow!" She cried out. "Just hang on, baby! I've got you!"

A scream mixed with the wailing, and Spike smashed into several tables that had managed to survive the explosion. He made himself get up and shook off the dizziness, picking up a jagged piece of wood. Diving at a tentacle that darted towards the witches, he stabbed and slapped until it was nothing but a twitchy mass of tissue on the floor. He then smirked at it and came to stand beside Giles, looking as if he were having the time of his life.

"Buffy!" Tara was frantic. "We—we have to st—stop! It—it's killing Willow!"

The blonde ran over, concern on her face. "Wh—what? Oh my god, Will…" She looks like an eighty year old. "Willow! Can you hear me?!"

"T—Tara…" She whispered, her lids closing. "C—cold."

"Dawn you have to stop!" Buffy yelled. She grabbed her shoulder and squealed as a surge of energy sprinted from her body and into her sister's. Jerking back, she glanced at her hand, ignored the tingling and placed it back. "Unh! Fi—finish it, Dawn. Hu—hurry!"

"I can see it…" Dawn replied slowly. "The Hellmouth I—I can see it. It—it's fighting me. It's so powerful."

Moaning, Buffy dropped to her knees, her fingers wrapping around the teen's ankle. "Release Willow, an—and use me"

"I don't know how!" She related. "I'm gonna close this thing once and for all!"

Suddenly Willow screamed and fell over as Tara dragged her out of the circle. Her normal appearance came back so fast that it was nearly staggering to those watching. Now taking the brunt of the spell, Buffy curled into a ball and just let herself be drained.

Faith, who had been helping Anya and Xander, wasted not even a second thought of what to do when she noticed what was happening. She threw herself into the circle with all her weight, ignoring the pain in her abdomen. "B!" Picking up the blonde's head, she placed it in her lap. "Shit… Here goes nothing." Wetting her lips, she latched onto Dawn's other leg. "Anytime now, Brat!"

…Down below…

The power of the Slayers was almost two much for Dawn to take, it literally made her muscles ache. Her astral self fell to her knees and she shrieked, detecting as she began to change shape. In the blink of an eye she was a pulsing ball of green energy, igniting every dark corner that she could. With a growl, she hurled herself at the flailing beast and set its flesh a sizzle, making it draw in all of its tentacles from wherever they might have been.

It howled in pain but she refused to give up, seeing the scene in the cavern and in the cafeteria as if she were in two places at once. Technically she was. She saw Buffy and Faith aging not very gracefully while feeding her power. She saw Giles and Spike fighting back the feelers as they retreated, while Xander and Anya huddled around Willow and Tara.

With a loud slurp, the Hellmouth disappeared into the seedy bowels of the Earth, screeching as it went. Although she wanted nothing more than to remain a radiant source of warmth, Dawn relinquished everything. It sent her reeling back to her body like a meteor crashing to the planet, and she tumbled forward with a raspy moan. A deafening boom sounded behind her as everything went white…and then all was calm.

Anya was the first to speak. "Are we alive?"

Xander chuckled and wiped the dirt off her cheek. "I think so…"

"Willow?" Tara whispered. "Wi—Willow?"

"I'm here." The Wicca coughed, feeling enervated. "Hey. I—I'm not cabbage. Di—did it work?"

"I think so." Giles rubbed the back of his neck. "It's quiet."

"Bloody hell…" Spike growled and lifted his boot. "I stepped in Hellmouth." Pause. "Way to go, nibblet."

Dawn chuckled weakly, managing to sit up. Something creaked in the distance and she blinked. "We should get out of here be—before this place crashes down on us." A beat. "Buffy? Wh—where's Buffy? An—and Faith?"

Suddenly Spike could care less about his shoes. "Buffy? Buffy!"

Xander glanced to the floor, his eyes wide. "Nobody move! Check for carrots with hair!"

Thump thump…thump thump…thump thump

Buffy slowly opened her green eyes, smiling when she realized what the sound was. She was half on top of Faith with her head tucked underneath her chin. She sighed and snuggled to her warm body, feeling a soft breeze caress her cheek. For some reason she felt very relaxed and content, like everything was as it should have been. Like it was just a nice day outside, and all she had to do was enjoy it to the fullest. Which she could totally do as long as Faith was with her.

Blinking up at the clear blue sky, she idly began dragging her fingers up and down the brunette's side. She shivered and purred lightly, a dimpled smile breaking out on her pretty face. "I think we fell asleep."

"Yeah." Faith murmured. "I had a whack dream, man. The Hellmouth opened and we had to fight it…"

Erm. "And we used Dawn as a battery?"

"Yeah. How didja know?" The brunette inquired. "Wait…"

They both sat up with rapid speed, speaking in unison. "It wasn't a dream!"

Buffy glanced around. "Wh—where are we? What is going on?"

"I don't know…" The ex-con itched at her neck, looking to her stomach. "I'm all healed. Which is wicked good, but…"

Standing, the blonde brushed off the back of her jeans. "On—one minute we were in the cafeteria and now we're outside. Somewhere."

"Maybe there was an explosion and the others dragged us out."

"Then where are they? Willow! Xander! Giles!"

"Dawn? Tara?"

"This is too weird. Come on."

"Where are ya goin'?"

"Find out what the hell is going on. What if everyone is dead? Or we got blew back in time or somethin'? If I'm sixteen again I will kill someone!"

Faith laughed and followed her off the curb and down the street, noticing how everything looked totally joe normal. "B, nothin' is outta place. Maybe we were so dead from the epic throw down that we crashed outside. I once had this buddy who used to get drunk and sleep in his bushes. Well until he was attacked by a raccoon."

Buffy laughed despite herself. "Remind me to never sleep in bushes then." Hugging her waist, she sighed and nibbled at her bottom lip. "The street was cracked and things were on fire. But there's no flamey."

"Sure they put 'em out or whatever." Faith mused, motioning to where people were going about their business. "We should go by ya crib. Bet everyone is there wonderin' where the hell we are."

"Yeah…" Pushing strands of yellow out of her face, she jogged over to where a young woman was sitting on a bench. "Um, excuse me, but this is Sunnydale right?"

The female nodded with a grin. "Yup! All the time. And it's such a nice place to live."

"Wh—this is probably gonna sound weird but—what year is it?" She inquired, praying she didn't say 1990-anything.

"2002." Giggled the woman. "Are you okay? You look confused."

Thank God! "No just…rough night."

Nodding, the girl glanced at her watch. "Oh heavens! We're gonna be late!"

"Late for what?" Faith asked, tilting her head to the side as she strolled up.

"Faith! I—I was just going I swear. I wouldn't miss one of his weekly addresses for anything in the world." Pause. "You're out rather early though. No—not that you can't be. I'm sorry!"

The brunette glanced to Buffy, arching a brow. "No worries. Where ya headed?"

Blinking, the stranger thumbed behind her. "To the Mayor's weekly address on citizenship and cleanliness of course. Mayor Wilkins hates it when people are late so…" Smiling nervously, she hurried off.

"The Mayor…" Buffy went pale. "I—I don't think we're in our Sunnydale anymore."

"Why not?" Faith frowned, the first crack in her usual calm demeanor showing.

Wetting her lips, the blonde pointed up to a large billboard that she'd just became aware of hanging over the Expresso Pump. There was Mayor Wilkins in his car salesman suit, grinning widely and waving friendlily at what would have been a camera.

Beside his picture were the words Keeping the "sun" in Sunnydale since 1999!

Faith grunted. "This can't be good at all. Especially not for you if he's still kickin'. We should go somewhere. Try to find ya Scoobies or somethin' while we still got daylight. Somethin' tells me things are a lot different at night… And I must be awake since chick nearly shit herself when she saw me." A beat. "Yo? B, are you listenin' to me?"

Buffy vaguely heard what the Slayer beside her was saying. And she vaguely knew that this new development could turn ugly in a nanosecond, considering how much she and the Mayor had hated each other. How she'd successfully killed him in her dimension and nearly fatally wounded someone who was like a daughter to him. All of this was swirling in her brain, but there was only one thing she could seem to get a grip on at the moment.

"I hope I'm not dead here too. That's gonna be such a drag."

The End

Hehe I know I'm evil! But yes there will be an eventual sequel. Stay tuned!